That evening
As I walked
I fell in love with a little calf.
Saw it roaming happily.
In the shadows of this winter afternoon
Standing under the tree outside the sps
school
Watching
the kids play…
The instant I saw
On main road ahead from there,
I fell for an old auto driver who
skillfully overtook
The roadside romeo following the auto
on his bike.
And later for a bowl of lentil soup
Of a beggar near sigdi under the
abandoned stall
Steam rising like smoke from a naval army
battle.
Like an imaginary battle inside all of
us
I fell for the sailing song in the
winds
By some fakir with a string instrument
Longing for the Highest Dearest one
Engulfing me this morning
In love for the road
On my way to parikrama
That looks like an entry
To mystic misty forest in the fairy
tale
For the big peepal tree and
For the luminous green leaves that
shine out
With the lights
That only a heaven can have
I fell for the bird who had built her
nest
So delicately and lovingly
On a low branch overhanging the road
Little did she think of the risks…Hahaaa
For the warm scarf wrapped around my
neck
I fell for the music on my phone.
For the clean checked soft red top
inside my blazer,
And later, the hot evening shower
before I go to sleep.
I found myself standing at the bathroom
sink
Gazing down affectionately at the
soap..
So patient and soluble, so at home in
its pale blue soap dish.
I could feel myself falling again
As I felt it turning in my wet hands
And I caught the scent of chandan
And lavender of the room
As my universe expands.
My heart propped up
So readily ready to fall.
And hence rise.
To be alive
This is the best kind of love I think
Without reward, without gifts, or
unkind words
No crushing of any feeling
Just a twinge every now and then.
Plain as hard stone
Innocent as baby’s touch
Stirring as untouched ragaas
Deep as warm eyes
I always fall for the chilling waters
That Madakini flows with
Gentler on surface
Yet, intense with ancient powers.